1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to apparatuses, methods and products for opportunistic relay association.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, data, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., bandwidth and transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communication system can simultaneously support communication for multiple user equipment devices (UE). Each UE communicates with one or more base stations, such as an evolved Node B (eNB) via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the eNBs to the UEs, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the UEs to the eNBs. This communication link may be established via a single-in-single-out, multiple-in-single-out or a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) system.
Wireless communication systems can also employ one or more relays to extend coverage of one or more eNBs and/or support communications with a number of UEs. For example, the relays can facilitate communication between the eNBs and the UEs by relaying packets there between. In one example, the relays can communicate with one or more eNBs over a wireless backhaul link, and with one or more UEs over provided wireless access links. Current association algorithms for selecting eNBs for UEs may be insufficient for associating UEs with relays as the current algorithms utilize a received signal power or path loss to associate UEs with the eNBs.